Military and Police take over security at KNUST

A combined team of the Military and Police, has been deployed to take charge of security at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), as part of moves to restore calm on the campus.

This occured on the heels of a stakeholders’ meeting that was held in Kumasi on Tuesday, chaired by the Minister in-charge of the National Security, Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah.

Other personalities who were present at the meeting included; Dr. Mathew Opoku-Prempeh, Minister of Education, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, Ashanti Regional Minister, as well as representatives of the University Council.

Mr. Osei-Mensah told the media that the closed-door meeting was to find a lasting solution to the current impasse between the University authorities and student body following recent disturbances on the campus.

The University was thrown into a state of anarchy on Monday as some aggrieved students hit the streets to protest against what they said were series of brutalities meted out to them by the KNUST security.

The latest incident was sparked by an alleged assault and subsequent arrest of some eleven (11) students of the University last Friday (October 19, 2018).

What was supposed to have been a peaceful demonstration turned violent as the teeming protestors decided to destroy everything in sight, burning vehicles and smashing windscreens, as well as louvres, billboards and other property belonging to the University?

This was after they had mounted roadblocks on all the principal streets amid chants and other aggressive behaviours.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that so far, about eighteen demonstrating students had been invited by the police for questioning for their various roles in the violent protest.

When GNA visited the campus of the University, the place looked deserted with heavy military/police presence at all the entry points.

The University had since the incident been indefinitely closed down.

Meanwhile, the National Security Minister, as well as the Education Minister would be paying a fact-finding visit to the University to assess at first hand, the extent of damage done and the situation on the ground.